Taking stock of healthy; quick food

When my kids were teenagers, we survived because we had a plan.Every other Wednesday, I planned dinner menus for two weeks, thenassigned the cook, salad maker, table setter and dishwashers for eachnight. I euphemistically termed this "bachelor survival training,"naively assuming that they would all one day leave home and needthese skills.

Well, most of us are still here. But the training did pay offbecause we continue to use the cook and cleanup knowledge to run areasonably tidy household.

Planning has changed, though. We have shifted toward keeping asupply of quick-fix healthy foods and making last-minute decisionsabout who does what and how much to prepare. The key to success nowis shopping for and stocking foods that can become instant meals, butalso will not perish if ignored for a few days.

Following are some guidelines for stocking healthy instantfoods: In general, shop the perimeter of the store. That is wherethe fresh, frozen and close-to-natural foods are located. If possible, shop for highly perishable fruits and vegetables twicea week. Or use these early in the week and save more stable producefor later. Produce that wilts, fades or shrivels has begun to losenutrients, and will not provide that great fresh taste you areseeking. Keep citrus fruit, apples, potatoes, carrots, onions and sweetpotatoes on hand. While in the produce section, pick up a jar of chopped garlic. Halfa teaspoon equals one clove. You get all the flavor of fresh andclean hands to boot. In the dairy section, check the expiration and sell dates. Alwaysbuy the product with the most distant date. For flexibility, buy meat, poultry and fish cut in individualportions. Wrap singly, freeze, then cook as needed without thawing.Boneless chicken breasts, turkey cutlets and fish fillets are ideal. Avoid frozen breaded products, usually high in fat and sodium.Those designed for the microwave contain even more fat to achievebrowning. Keep plenty of frozen vegetable combinations on hand.Buy the big bags with individually frozen contents, then cook as muchor as little as you want. Avoid those with sauces high in fat andsodium. Keep a supply of frozen chopped onion and green pepper for no-messseasoning for cooked foods. When buying whole grain breads, read the label. Ingredients arelisted in the order of predominance. Whole grain flour should befirst; enriched or unbleached flour should appear later.